In Focus

William Blake (1757-1827) was a British poet, painter, engraver, and printer. Blake developed an unorthodox method of printmaking called relief etching, which he referred to as “illuminated printing,” and used to print his own books. Blake’s practices of crafting a dialog between text and image and controlling all aspects of book production are reflected in the individualist spirit of today’s book arts. This exhibit includes examples from the Special Collections of the Haas Family Arts Library of work by contemporary artists who have been influenced by William Blake’s legacy.

Allan Wyon, F.S.A. (1843-1907) engraved this bookplate in 1894. The design features a classical figure holding an open book that reads Ex Libris R T. In 1901 this bookplate was the subject of an interesting case of mistaken identity in the pages of the Journal of the Ex Libris Society.